Former Bosnian Muslim commander arrested on war crimes charges

SARAJEVO, Dec 5 (Reuters) - A former Bosnian Muslim commander was arrested on Wednesday over alleged war crimes against Serbian civilians during Bosnia's 1992-95 war, the Balkan country's war crimes prosecutor said.

Around 100,000 people died during the war in Bosnia, during which Bosnian Muslims fought Bosnian Serbs and then Croats.

General Ramiz Drekovic, 62, a retired commander of the 4th Corps of the Bosnian Muslim-led army, is suspected of ordering attacks on a southeastern village, during which a 15-year-old was killed and more people injured and properties destroyed, the prosecutor's office said in a statement.

"The suspect is charged with issuing direct, strictly confidential orders to artillery units on a wider area of Konjic municipality to randomly shell the village of Kalinovik, inhabited by Serbs, in spring 1995," the statement said.

His lawyer, Mirsad Crnovrsanin, confirmed to state television that Drekovic was arrested on Wednesday morning in his Sarajevo apartment and has been questioned by the police.

Drekovic faces charges of acting against the provisions of the Geneva Convention and of committing war crimes. (Reporting by Daria Sito-Sucic; Editing by Alexander Smith)